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The Acura TSX is a
compact executive car A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a #Subcompact executive cars, premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the Euro ...
manufactured by
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
and sold through its
Acura Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, M ...
division from 2003 to 2014. The TSX spanned two generations, both derived from the corresponding Japanese/European versions of the
Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States sinc ...
, which were more compact and sporting-oriented than their larger North American counterpart. The latter Accord platform was also used for the
Acura TL The Acura TL is a car that was manufactured by Acura, the luxury division of Honda. It was introduced in 1995 to replace the Acura Vigor and was badge engineering, badged for the Japanese-market from 1996 to 2000 as the Honda Inspire and from 1996 ...
, which slotted above the TSX in Acura's lineup. All TSXs were built in Sayama, Saitama,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. The first-generation TSX was introduced as a 2004 model in April 2003 as a
rebadged In the automotive industry, rebadging (also known as badge engineering, an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place) is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. T ...
version of the Japanese domestic market (JDM) Honda Accord 2.4 Type-S, with the exception of its interior, borrowed from the JDM fourth-generation Honda Inspire. It was succeeded by the second-generation TSX, introduced in March 2008 as a 2009 model and based on the eighth-generation JDM Accord. Notably, the final generation of the TSX would introduce a V6 option for 2010, and a wagon for 2011. It was sold in North America under the
Acura Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, M ...
luxury marque as the replacement for the Integra sedan which was discontinued in 2001 (1996 in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
since the EL was the Integra sedan's replacement there), and would become Acura's entry-level vehicle after the
Acura RSX The Acura RSX is a vehicle manufactured by Honda for its upmarket brand Acura. First generation (2002-2006) The North American Acura RSX was introduced on July 2, 2001 as a replacement for the long running Integra nameplate. The name was a pa ...
got discontinued in 2006. From the 2007 model year until 2012, the TSX was the smallest vehicle in the Acura model line, other than the
Civic Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: Civic or CIVIC can also refer to: General *Honda Civic, a car produced by the Honda Motor Co. *Civics, the science of comparative government * Civic ...
-based
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and the preceding Acura 1.6 and 1.7 EL sold only in Canada. In 2013, the smaller ILX was introduced in both the United States and Canada, based upon the
Civic Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: Civic or CIVIC can also refer to: General *Honda Civic, a car produced by the Honda Motor Co. *Civics, the science of comparative government * Civic ...
platform (replacing the
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...
in Canada). Honda discontinued the TSX and the larger TL during 2014 with the introduction of the TLX, which replaced both vehicles, although the TLX is close in size to the TL. The ILX, introduced for the 2012 model year, succeeded the TSX as Acura's entry-level offering.


First generation (CL9; 2003)


Overview

The Acura TSX was introduced at the 2003 North American International Auto Show as a production model. The 2004
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
TSX's powertrain consisted of a 2.4-
liter The litre ( Commonwealth spelling) or liter ( American spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metres (m3). A cu ...
inline four-cylinder K24A2 engine which produced 200 horsepower, a six-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
(which featured a magnesium casing, to reduce weight), and a
front wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of internal combustion engine, engine and transmission (mechanics), transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel-drive vehicles feature ...
layout. A five-speed automatic transmission was a no-cost option in the
U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
based on MSRP; however, such was not the case in Canada. In 2006, the TSX was updated with slight tweaks to the engine (adding 5 hp with an increase from 200 hp to 205 hp); a sportier exterior styling featuring a slightly new front and rear treatment, standard side skirts, and standard, integral fog lights; and restyled wheels. In 2007, Tire Pressure Monitoring System and an improved electronic rear view mirror were added, and the 2008 model year brought a new color option.


Interior

2005 was the second year of the TSX and Acura updated it with
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, a four-way power passenger seat and illuminated the steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls. Along with the slight tweaks to the engine in 2006, interior tech features were also added, including a Multi-information Display (MID) in the instrument panel, and luxury features such as a two-position memory for the driver's seat adjustments which adjusted according to which of two keys were being used, auxiliary MP3 player input and
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is li ...
-compatible ''HandsFreeLink'' (for cellular phones). The Bluetooth ''HandsFreeLink'' system operates through voice control, where the user speaks when the HandsFreeLink button is pressed. Six different phones can be paired up to the HandsFreeLink system.


Safety

In testing conducted by the United States-based
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) is an American nonprofit organization. It was established in 1959, and it is noted for its safety reviews of vehicles in various simulated traffic situations, ...
(IIHS), the Acura TSX received an overall rating of "Good" for frontal offset testing, an overall rating of "Poor" rear crash protection, and an overall rating of "Acceptable" for side impact testing.


Engine

The K24A2 engine used in the TSX was related to the engine in the Honda Accord (7th generation), the
Honda CR-V The Honda CR-V (A variant model is called Honda Breeze in China By GAC-Honda since 2019,The CR-V is still manufactured by Dongfeng Honda) is a compact crossover SUV manufactured by Japanese automaker Honda since 1995. Initial models of the C ...
, and the
Honda Element The Honda Element is a crossover SUV, compact crossover SUV manufactured by Honda and marketed in North America over a single generation for model years 2003–2011 — and noted for its boxy exterior styling with bi-parting side doors and i ...
. The K24A2 featured intelligent variable valve timing (
i-VTEC VTEC (described as ''Variable Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control'', but stands for ''Valve Timing Electronically Controlled'') is a system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine, r ...
) and produced in this iteration. Another feature of the i-VTEC system on the TSX and RSX-s was that, unlike other Honda K-series motors, variable timing was used on both the intake and exhaust cams in its three rocker design. In 2005, for the 2006
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
, the K24A2 was updated to produce 205 hp (153 kW). The diameter of the throttle body and intake valves were slightly increased, along with the cam duration and valve lift.


Second generation (CU2; 2008)


Overview

The redesigned 2009 Acura TSX made its debut at the
New York International Auto Show The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan, New York City in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes ...
on March 20, 2008 before going on sale on April 24. In terms of size, the TSX was larger than its predecessor with greater width, a wider track and a longer wheelbase, and the length grew by . Curb weight increased by approximately . Making its debut on the new TSX was Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, which was designed to reduce accident impact on occupants. In the United States, the TSX came standard with luxury features like leather seat upholstery, dual-zone climate control, power driver's seat with memory, sunroof,
Xenon Xenon is a chemical element; it has symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a dense, colorless, odorless noble gas found in Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. Although generally unreactive, it can undergo a few chemical reactions such as the ...
headlights, and added a
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...
port music interface; in Canada this configuration was known as the "Premium Package" as there was a base trim available with the four-cylinder TSX that has cloth seats and halogen headlights, and without the USB connector, memory seat function, and fog lamps. The TSX had an optional technology package, which included a navigation system, real-time traffic and weather, and a 10-speaker premium sound system with
DVD-audio DVD-Audio (commonly abbreviated as DVD-A) is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio uses most of the storage on the disc for high-quality audio and is not intended to be a video delivery format. The ...
capabilities. For the United States, Acura also added a "Sport Wagon" body style of the TSX in late 2010 for the 2011 model year. The wagon was available with the I4 engine and 5-speed automatic. In 2009, the 2010 model year TSX added an optional 3.5L 280 hp V6 engine, shared with the
Acura TL The Acura TL is a car that was manufactured by Acura, the luxury division of Honda. It was introduced in 1995 to replace the Acura Vigor and was badge engineering, badged for the Japanese-market from 1996 to 2000 as the Honda Inspire and from 1996 ...
, and which was not available for the CL-series Accord sold in Europe. It came standard with the five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and 18-inch alloy wheels, and was available in either Premium or Technology trims. In 2010, for the 2011 model year, the TSX received a facelifted upper grille with horizontal slots, a thin chrome molding surround replaced the wide silver surround, a redesigned front bumper cover with body-colored sections between the upper grille and each headlight, wider body-colored "verticals" in the lower grille separating revised foglamp areas, and a chrome trim piece added to the trunk lid between updated taillights. Inside included more LED lighting, new LED/VGA navigation screen and system functions with Technology Package, center console HVAC vents for rear occupants, and new trim colors, woodgrain, and metal finishes. In 2011, for the 2012 model year, Acura introduced an all new Special Edition model. The exterior featured a more aggressive front spoiler giving it a sporty look, reminiscent of their old sports coupe, the RSX. Other cosmetic upgrades included a rear bumper fascia, side sills, and a "Special Edition" badge on the trunklid. In the cabin, Acura made sport-minded appointments including suede seat inserts with red backing. There was red stitching on the shift knob, seats, and steering wheel, along with red ambient lighting featured on the gauge cluster, overhead lighting, and footwell lighting. The pedals were also upgraded to aluminum. In late 2013 Honda announced that the TSX would be replaced with the Acura TLX sedan and that they would discontinue sales of the TSX model in 2014.


Engine

The second-generation TSX uses a base engine similar to that of the first-generation TSX. The engine is a 2.4-liter in-line 4-cylinder
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...
reaching 201 hp (150 kW) and torque. While the rated power of the new TSX engine is lower than that of the 2008 model, Acura says the new engine distributes power across a much wider rpm range, which along with the increased torque, provides an increased feeling of power for the driver. The transmission choices remain 5-speed
automatic Automatic may refer to: Music Bands * Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band * Automatic (American band), American rock band * The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band Albums * ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...
and 6-speed manual, though the automatic version now comes with steering-wheel paddle shifters for optional manual shifting. In 2009, for the 2010 model year, the Acura TSX has an optional 280 hp 3.5-liter V6, shared with the larger
Acura TL The Acura TL is a car that was manufactured by Acura, the luxury division of Honda. It was introduced in 1995 to replace the Acura Vigor and was badge engineering, badged for the Japanese-market from 1996 to 2000 as the Honda Inspire and from 1996 ...
, and which was not available for the CL-series Accord sold in Europe. The V6 engine is only available with the 5-speed
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...
. The Acura TSX was slated to receive a high-performance 2.2-liter i-DTEC clean
turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...
engine in the 2010 model year, after having already offered it for the CL-series Accord sold in Europe. However, it was later announced that Honda had abandoned its plans to bring diesel engines to the U.S. and Japan in favor of hybrid gasoline-electric powertrains.


TSX Sport Wagon

The Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a badge-engineered version of CL-series Honda Accord Tourer station wagon. The Sport Wagon was unveiled in the 2010 New York Auto Show. The TSX Sportwagon is mechanically identical to the TSX Sedan, sharing the 201-horsepower
Honda K engine The Honda K-series engine is a line of four-cylinder four-stroke car engines introduced in 2001. The K-series engines are equipped with DOHC valvetrains and use roller rockers on the cylinder head to reduce friction. The engines use a coil-on-pl ...
2.4L
DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...
inline four-cylinder engine, Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel independent sports suspension, however unlike the sedan the Sport Wagon is not offered with the 6-speed manual transmission nor the V6 engine. The Sport Wagon offers 60.5 cu-ft of rear cargo area (with rear seats folded down; 25.8 cu-ft with the seats up), rear seats with 60/40 fold-down design. For the United States market, the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon went on sale starting on December 21, 2010 with a base price of US$30,960 (US$34,610 with Technology Package). Acura Canada said that they would eventually sell the TSX Sport Wagon, citing market conditions as the reason for the delay, but ultimately never marketed it there. While the CL-series Honda Accord Tourer was quite successful in its market of Europe, station wagons were less popular in the United States. The competing
Volkswagen Passat The Volkswagen Passat is a nameplate of D-segment, large family cars (D-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen since 1973 and also marketed variously as the Dasher, Santana, Quantum, Magotan, Corsar ...
wagon and Mercedes C-Class wagons were withdrawn around the same time the TSX Sport Wagon was unveiled, leaving the BMW 3 Series Touring as the only wagon available in the entry-level luxury car category. Changes for the 2012 TSX Sport Wagon include a compact tire repair kit that allows for a significantly larger underfloor storage area.


2012 TSX Special Edition

The 2012 TSX Special Edition is a version of the TSX commemorating the 25th anniversary of Acura, with a 6-speed manual or Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission, a more aggressive front spoiler, rear bumper fascia and side sills, 17x7.5-inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels with a dark grey finish, a "Special Edition" badge on the trunklid, perforated black Lux Suede inserts and red backing upholstery, unique red stitching and red-lighting throughout the interior, aluminum pedal covers and a black headliner material replaces the standard grey headliner used on other TSX models. The Technology package includes ELS audio system and hard-drive based navigation system. The TSX Special Edition was unveiled in 2011 Orange County International Auto Show. In Canada, a very similar model to the US model SE, was also released. It shared the same features as the American model, but was officially called an A Spec trim. It had an A Spec badge on each fender, and came with unique 18” multi spoke alloy wheels were both silver and dark grey


Safety

The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) is an American nonprofit organization. It was established in 1959, and it is noted for its safety reviews of vehicles in various simulated traffic situations, ...
(IIHS) found the 2009-11 TSX to have an overall driver death of 7 deaths per million registered years, the 2nd lowest of midsize four-door cars, and both single-vehicle crash death rate and rollover death rate of 0.


Awards and recognition

* 2008 ''Wheels'' Car of the Year award winner. * 2009 Car of the Year Finalist, ''
Motor Trend ''Motor Trend'' is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, and designated the first Car of the Year, also in 1949. Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles published ''Motor Trend'' until 1998, when it was sold ...
''. * Ranked best resale value in the Sedan category in
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's "Best Resale Value Cars" article on November 29, 2006. * The Acura TSX was on ''
Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine first published in 1955. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased it from its prior owner Hachette Fi ...
''s Ten Best list in its first three years of production (2004–2006). * Top-Value Car of 2004 in the Sedan under $35,000 from
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.com. * It has received the "Frontal Five Star Rating" from the U.S.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA ) is an agency of the U.S. federal government, part of the Department of Transportation, focused on automobile safety regulations. NHTSA is charged with writing and enforcing Feder ...
's frontal crash tests. * "Best Pick" in a Frontal Impact from the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) is an American nonprofit organization. It was established in 1959, and it is noted for its safety reviews of vehicles in various simulated traffic situations, ...
. * In November 2004, the TSX earned ''
Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Founded ...
'' "Recommended" mark; in addition they named the car "Best Overall" in tests of four sporty sedans. In April 2007, the magazine rated the used TSX a "Good Bet." * In the IIHS crash tests, the 2nd generation TSX received ''Good'' overall marks in both front and side impact crash tests and the ''Good'' score in all 14 measured categories. The IIHS gave the TSX its "Best Pick" accolade. * Best upscale small car for families 2011, ''U.S. News & World Report''. * AutoPacific's most ideal midsized luxury car, 2012


Racing

Realtime Racing prepares a factory TSX to compete in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GTS class. The factory TSX is refashioned to be stiffer and lighter, and includes motor work with raised compression, and a custom built sequential transmission. Acura won the Manufacturer's Championship for the Touring class in 2005 with the RTR TSX, as well as the Driver's Championship for Peter Cunningham. Acura returned in 2006 and won the Manufacturers' Championship of the Speed World Challenge Touring Car class for the second year in a row, running both RSXs and TSXs. TSX drivers finished in 3rd and 4th in the Drivers' Championship. More success followed as Pierre Kleinubing won the Championship in 2007, and Peter Cunningham took it in 2008. Driving for RTR in 2009 was Peter Cunningham, Pierre Kleinubing, Toby Grahovic, Kuno Wittmer, and Jeff Courtney.


Sales


References and footnotes

* *


External links


Official American site

TSXClub is dedicated to Acura TSX Sport Sedan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acura Tsx
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Compact cars Compact executive cars Front-wheel-drive vehicles Sports sedans 2010s cars Cars introduced in 2003 Cars discontinued in 2014 Station wagons